After several years as a youth and playworker I trained in Bradford as a Primary teacher specialising in innercity and multicultural education. I later retrained at Roehampton for Early Years Education and have an M.A. from Goldsmiths College in Early Years Education.

I am currently studying for a PHD at the Institute of Education. I taught for eight years as a primary and early years teacher and deputy head teacher before joining a team of ethnic minority achievement teachers in Islington. I have since worked in Early Years advisory teams in Islington and Waltham Forest, and as a Regional Adviser for the National Strategies. I more recently worked for the University of Cumbria in Tower Hamlets as a Senior Lecturer and as Acting Director of London Programmes. I have combined my work with a freelance role as a consultant in the UK and abroad.

My expertise is in early years education. I have particular interests in English as an Additional Language, Schemas,  Symbolic Development, Block Play, Outdoor Play, and Provision for Under 3

My PHD focus is on Symbolic Development for two year olds. I have submitted a proposal  for EECERA 2013  on Multimodal Literacies at two.conference June 2013.  In 2012 I co-presented an investigation into student views on 'Enrichment Activities at TEAN, and presented on Symbolic Development at two at EECERA 2012, and on Outdoors in all Weathers at the Nursery World Conference.

I have presented at ESCALATE 2008, Teacher Education Advancement Network conference in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and at the European Early Childhood Education Research Association 2010, 2011 and 2012. My publications include: Chapters in: Desirable Literacies ed. Marsh, J. PCP (2nd ed. 2008),The Early Years; A Reader ed. Smidt, S. OUP. (2nd ed. 2008), Contribution to Case Studies in Target-Setting in the Foundation Stage; 2007,National Strategy Materials. I have published articles in TACTYC, EYE, Early Education, (1995 - present)

• I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy  and an Associate Member of Early Education .I regularly provide CPD and present at conferences for local authorities and professional organisations ( Institute of Education, Early Education, NCNE, Nursery World). I provide CPD for two International Schools in Bangkok, and  am speaking on EAL in the Early Years at the NCNE  2013.
• I am External Examiner for the Primary PGCE at Brighton University. For the past few years I have been involved as a guest reader for Sage and Hodder giving critical feedback on scholarly publications and proposals in draft.